5 Things We Need to Keep After Quarantine Fades

Both 2020 and 2021 have been tough years for many of us. The virus has forced us into new situations, urged us towards new actions, and pushed us towards new perspectives.

Many have found themselves confined in a way they have never experienced before.

Separation from loved ones has caused distress, and the fear of catching the virus itself has resulted in pandemic anxiety. This confinement has affected many people on a variety of levels, and not for the better.

Those who are vigilant have become paranoid; those who once had healthy skepticism have become overly critical; those who value freedom have become angry.

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Facing Challenges Together & Apart

Out of everything negative, the positive will arise. Despite the challenges we have faced, there is light at the end of the tunnel, burning bright in many ways.

More than anything, we have learned to appreciate what we have, and the time we have with our loved ones, something we may have been forgetting in this fast-paced, busy world. The virus has forced us to stop and reflect - and we have had plenty of time to do that.

How many of us took for granted that we could just pop to the shops if we wanted to try on some new clothes? How convenient and easy was it for us to do that? The virus helped us realize just how easy we had it.

How many of us didn’t realize how little time we were spending with, or talking to, our loved ones? How many of us prioritized work, personal projects, or personal entertainment over spending quality time together?

The loneliness that has ensued reminds us just how valuable quality time together is.

5 Soul Lessons We’re Keeping After the Pandemic

So what are 5 things we need to keep after quarantine fades? Below are a few things we should keep after our isolation lessons.

1. Practicing Gratitude

One pandemic lesson we have learned is not to take things for granted. Whereas before convenience was a dominating factor in our lives, the pandemic threw us into a situation where it almost vanished.

While we don’t want to let our gratitude or positivity become toxic, our appreciation for small things can lead to great mindful practice.

Practicing gratitude is a wonderful way to remind ourselves of what we went through to don’t take it for granted again. For example, waking up and saying, “I am grateful for being able to visit my family today” helps remind us of all we have to be thankful for.

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2. Walking During the Day

Varying restrictions meant that the only time we were allowed outside and, depending on where someone lives, exercising became more difficult. Even when gyms reopen or get back to team sports, why should we stop this simple tradition?

An hour’s walk among nature (or anywhere, really) is good for your mind, body, and soul.

Of course, the fresher the air, the better, but moving for at least an hour a day helps keep you strong and energized. It can also stimulate the mind, help release anxiety, and allow us time away from our screens to think and meditate.

Keeping the tradition of daily walks will help connect us to the community and the environment surrounding us while giving us extra exercise. It’s a perfect win-win.

3. Appreciating Our Essential Workers

The store assistants, the nurses, the doctors, the carers, the postmen, the bin collectors, and so many more; these are the people who kept the world going.

We should have appreciated them before, and this pandemic was a huge awakening for many of us.

We may have taken for granted before just how much hard work they put into keeping the wheel of life turning, but we realized just how essential they are during the pandemic.

4. Hosting Virtual Parties

The internet was a saving grace for many to keep in touch with loved ones around the country and the world. When the pandemic is over, there is no reason to stop having these gatherings or parties online.

Whether it’s more accessible ways to connect to those close to us or a way to strengthen relationships that defy borders, this is something that we should absolutely keep around.

Staying in touch with loved ones is good for the souls of all involved.

It keeps our love for each other strong and reminds us of the importance of keeping in touch, especially when life becomes overwhelming and we become swamped with personal areas of our lives.

5. Changed Perspectives

The pandemic gripped the world in one thought process: the virus is deadly, and we must protect ourselves and others. This is something many people had yet to experience on a collective scale. We have had a relatively comfortable time so far compared to the past and other areas of the world, and it was the first time many experienced this.

Becoming aware of just how fragile life is and that we are not going to live forever helps to remind us of what matters in life. It reminds us of what is truly meaningful.

It is a reminder we needed. We had become so swept up in a thought process that began with “I want” that we disregarded the “I am.” The material world is necessary, and it is the arena from which we learn life lessons.

However, when it becomes out of control, and we lose connection with the spiritual world, we start to drift further and further away from the reason we are on this planet in the first place.

Everything is temporary, and what matters the most is often what is right in front of us.

As such, you can live in more accordance with your soul and appreciate the family, friends, and loved ones even more, as well as appreciate all those little things in life you took for granted.

Many people experienced a “personality renaissance” throughout this time of isolation that caused us to change our appearances, careers, and habits. This all comes from valuing the world around us and ourselves in a way that we have never been able to before.

This pandemic caused the perspective change that leaves us all in a more appreciative place.

Keeping That Hope

With lockdown slowly lifting in many places as we continue to fight the virus, we must keep reminding ourselves that all dark times come to an end. It may not be your country or city’s time to re-enter the world, but know that the time is coming.

The effect it has had on our mental health has been drastic. The knowledge that good things come out of it helps light a flame in the darkness when we feel negative emotions and thoughts overpower us.

Challenge and adversity breed strength and vigilance. Without challenge, we cannot thrive and grow as human beings. It isn’t easy to see when you are in it, but you will not always be in it. None of us will. There is a way out, and it is coming. We will be stronger, better, and more appreciative of things we took for granted.

So keep pushing through and remember, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

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